1. Henry V and the Rhetoric of War
“We Band of Brothers”

2. Background: Henry V Shakespeare wrote this play around 1599
It tells the story of King Henry V of England, focusing on the Hundred Years War with France, particularly the 1415 Battle of Agincourt.
Henry V was king of England from 1413 until his death in 1422 (age 36)

3. The true story of a fictional speech
Prior to the Battle of Agincourt, Henry V led English footmen across Northwestern France in an attempt to win back English territory.
Henry’s troops were weakened… and the French knew it. Henry needed the port at Calais in order to get back to England. French troops blocked Henry from accessing the port.
The French were heavily armored and highly skilled. English morale was low. Henry, rising to the occasion, rallied the English troops and carried them to a victory that brought peace between England and France.

4. St. Crispin’s Day Speech
From Act IV, Scene iii
Shakespeare’s speech is fictional, but it is evocative of the spirit with which Henry ruled through his charisma, his personality, his rhetoric.

5. The theatrics of the language

6. Rhetoric within the speech
What are some examples of rhetorical appeal (ethos, logos, pathos)?
What are some rhetorical devices?
What do you think is the basic theme? Is there more than one?
Consider the overall impact of Shakespeare’s words: what do you think this speech does for Henry V’s men?

7. Contemporary Analysis

8. The Spirit of the Language
Think back to the original text and to the first video clip
Which piece best captures the spirit of “we few, we happy few, we band of brothers”? Why? How?

9. Finding the Truth, the potential downside
Now consider the NYT article
Do fiction and non-fiction collide in war?
How does war bring out both the best and worst in people?

10. Daily Grade Email me your response to these questions:
The author of the NYT article ended the piece by saying that, “Once language draws [the] line, all kinds of mistreatment become imaginable, and then justifiable. To make the abuses as Abu Ghraib unthinkable, we would have to abolish war itself.” Do you agree or disagree? Why?
Why are we still talking about this speech today? Use evidence from today’s lesson.